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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667489">Baby Steps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taua/pseuds/Taua'>Taua</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blubb blubb [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Daddy Vanitas, Delighted Zacky, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Jelly Riku, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:22:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,540</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taua/pseuds/Taua</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of "Mating Season". </p><p>Just a little cute scene that kept poking me with a stick, so here we are x.x</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Vanitas/Riku - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blubb blubb [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Baby Steps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was, admittedly, a bit annoying.</p><p>Not that Riku <em>hated</em> gathering. In fact, he found quite some enjoyment when it was just him and the fields, the occasional school of fish swimming by and the tide making the seaweed sway softly. It was a simple task that was relatively safe – compared to hunting, at least – and he'd often end up swimming closer to shore in search for pretty shells he could trade with back home. Sometimes traders came by and had rare materials or foods loaded on their whalefish. Though, nowadays Riku lacked the time to truly idle around.</p><p>Or, rather, he wanted to spend his time elsewhere. Which also was the cause for his mild annoyance of being stuck gathering food.</p><p>Usually they would take turns running errands. Sometimes Riku swam out to do whatever needed to be done, other times his mate would. However when it came to gathering his mate turned out to be <em>suspiciously</em> lacking. Either the seaweed was old and bitter, too tough to properly grind, or infested with snails. After the third time he dragged something hardly eatable home, Riku had had enough and claimed to go do the gathering instead.</p><p>The victorious sneer he received <em>said it</em> <em>all</em>.</p><p>And when Riku punished him with assigning the cooking to him, which was quite tedious since their youngling was still so little, the stupid blobfish had the nerve to <em>grin</em>. Grin like he was actually being <em>rewarded</em>.</p><p>In afterthought, Riku might have done just that. By sticking the cooking to his mate, it also meant he got to spend time at home and spoil their youngling even more than already. Though, if he was honest, Riku couldn't help coddling their little starfish either. They'd have to stop at some point though... The way they were going, their son would never grow into a responsible and independent merman.</p><p>Once his bag was nicely ful with fresh seaweed Riku swam back to their cave on the outskirt of the village. It was nice and quiet, on top of a rocky formation. The pretty coral reef was thriving and buzzing with life while the mossy ground was soft and comfortable for naps under the afternoon sun. It looked a lot like the nest that attracted Riku last season – a larger replica his mate build for them, a home where they were safe and could bask in each others' company while the fruit of their love grew up. A token of his mate's affection, despite all the odds and circumstances.</p><p>By the position of the sun, it had to be early afternoon when Riku arrived at the cave. Surprisingly neither his mate nor their youngling were outside – usually they'd be by the reef, watching the colorful fish and nudibranchs as their scales warmed under the weak sunbeams. Their baby had hatched barely two full moons ago; his scales were still soft and fins too little for him to swim up and around, but they read a bit of light would help his development and decided to spent the majority of the late mornings and early afternoons outside.</p><p>Quickly Riku set the bags down and swam high enough to overlook the area. They couldn't have gone too far unless it had been an emergency; in that case, Riku was certain he'd have found a note upon his arrival.</p><p>He was still searching when a noise reached his ears:</p><p>Laughter.</p><p>A bright, pure giggle filled with so much happiness and glee his heart melted on the spot.</p><p>Enticed Riku followed the noise, slowly gliding through the water, until he noticed two rather dark spots on the sandbank below. Curiously he swam closer, mindful of the shift of the water and the noise he made, and sunk down by the flat rocks little away from them. The laughter had momentarily subsided, but just as he watched the youngling laying on his belly lifted his tail, the short little thing arching barely, before he quickly brought it back down. The motion kicked up a bit of sand and he made an impatient little noise in the back of his throat as he stared expectantly with big, blue-green eyes.</p><p>Slow, almost lazy, the merman with the dark scales lifted his tail as well. He, too, was laying on his stomach with arms crossed under his head, but unlike the youngling he managed to arch his tail so far the tips of his fins almost reached down to his floating, inky-black hair. The scales shone almost red when the sun hit them just so, just like his fins, and he held the position a moment before he all but slammed his tail against the sandbank. He kicked up so much sand it rose up like a cloud along his back, the grains floating for a heartbeat before they sunk back down.</p><p>At the sight, the youngling however exploded into a fit of gurgling, laughing so loud and excitedly he wiggled on the spot. His tiny arms patted the sandbank as he giggled, his tail swishing left and right, and Riku had a hard time keeping his own noises back at the sight. It was easily the cutest thing he had ever seen, a gentle warmth settling in his chest the longer he watched the small creature.</p><p>However then the dark merman chuckled and cocked his head to the side, his ruby eyes closing a little and lips pulling into a <em>smile</em>, a true, honest, <em>happy</em> smile, and Riku felt a spark of jealousy cutting through the innocent affection in his heart.</p><p>It was... stupid. He knew there was neither point nor need to feel jealous, least of all of his own flesh and blood. From the start he had realized his mate was difficult with expressing his feelings, especially the happier ones, and if Riku was honest he had a hard time opening up, too. Being older he ought to set an example, however he was all but a romantic and often came off as aloof. It didn't exactly help his mate seemed to be stuck in a 'me-against-the-world' mindset and was far from what Riku would call approachable.</p><p>Yet he couldn't deny the raw, powerful attraction between them. Riku had seen the lengths his mate was ready to cross for those dear to him and he loved how he let his guard down when it was just the two of them. And the way he tenderly cared for his siblings and their little one sometimes moved Riku to tears and made him fall harder and harder for him.</p><p>Despite the envy, knowing he'd never be able to make him smile <em>like that</em>, knowing he'd never be loved with the same tenderness, Riku found peace in the thought his mate had moments of blissful happiness, too.</p><p>Their relationship and love was different. And that was, ultimately, okay.</p><p>Riku watched them plopping their tails another three times before he made himself aware. Instantly the merman turned his head toward him in alert, fins half-way fanned out and expression guarded, but his eyes became a bit softer once recognition sank in.</p><p>“The seaweed is ready to be cooked, Vanitas,” Riku said as he thumbed back over his shoulder, in the general direction of their cave.</p><p>“Of course it is,” Vanitas grumbled with a tilt of his lips. On anyone else that would have looked like a pout, but he was too much of a predator for such descriptions.</p><p>Riku merely shrugged his shoulders before he swam down, his tail curling underneath his body as he watched their youngling crawl clumsily toward him. The delighted smile lit up his entire face and he made grabby hands once he was close enough, eager to be picked up. Having mercy on him, Riku reached out with a lop-sided smile and pulled him up once chubby fingers closed around his.</p><p>Chuckling he watched as the little merman kicked his tail after a while, keeping himself upright and gingerly swimming toward Vanitas. “Zack's getting better at it,” Riku remarked, tilting his head and sighing once Zack flopped down on Vanitas' chest.</p><p>“But he's still too weak to lift himself off the floor.” Vanitas had turned onto his back as Zack had approached and closed his hands around the small waist, easily lifting him up. Laughing gleefully Zack kicked his tail and stretched out his arms, simply happy at the hight he was floating.</p><p>“Is that why you came down here?” Riku asked, chuckling when Vanitas let Zack go and had him hover on the spot, his entire body tensed and strained to swim in the calm water.</p><p>“Something like that,” Vanitas absently admitted. With a kick of his tail he sat up and caught Zack into his arms, holding him so they were face-to-face. “You still gotta swim better if you want me to call you a guppy. For now you're still a crabby crab.” He grinned as he closed the distance and rubbed their noses together, earning himself another fit of bright laughter from Zack, either from the tickle or shier happiness at being showered with so much affection.</p><p>Adorable. Both of them.</p><p> </p><p>… If Riku didn't know he'd get his tail bitten off, he might had dared saying that out loud.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! </p><p>Oh man. Me, wirting fluff. The world must be ending xD </p><p>Hope you enjoyed it. </p><p>Stay safe and regards,<br/>-T</p></blockquote></div></div>
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